Benny avenue scenes

This big tree had an interesting variety of textures and colours. Streaks of orange and green represent mosses, and the pale beige reflected yellow and purple tones. In the background are some of the Benny apartments and the big one down on Sherbrooke. Benny is the name of a farm that turned into housing, Sports complex, and library. 

Tree apartments Benny, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, June 2026

Sitting on the same rock, I made another painting looking towards the rear of Benny library. The cladding is a red-maroon colour I mixed with perylene maroon (PR179) amd quin violet (PV55). The pale blue on top of the library is called periwinkle blue... a kind of pastel powder blue I make with phthalo blue sapphire (PB15), a touch of magenta (PR122), and dilute with water. 

Benny library rear, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, June 2026

Down closer to the train tracks, there is an active auto shop. They were working on an SUV inside, and a grey Porsche was waiting for repairs. Those sports cars must really break down, I saw a busted Ferrari the other day. 

Auto Benny, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, June 2026

As the commuter train rumbled by, I made a painting of the scene, including two signs, and plenty of greenery. A small gap made the train visible, I could see the track, gravel, and the train zooming past. 

Train signs, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, June 2026

On the same corner, here is an old building with a pale green roof. I painted this scene back in 2019 when a large tree was growing here, which was since cut down. They replanted a smaller tree which is going well. The background came out surprisingly realistic. It was good to make some paintings with nice weather, its been mostly rain the last week or so. 

Pale green roof path, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, June 2026 

Digital slices, selfie dimensions

Using Sketchbook app, here is a citrus-themed digital piece, using all the colours I can only make digitally. With real paint, it is not possible to create such vibrant cyan, magenta, and chartreuse colours, although the yellow is possible. 

Citrus slices, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000

 

Waiting for a meeting, I took a picture of my computer and made some fantastic overlays. Its how I feel sometimes staring at my computer in the office. 

Cpmputer surprises, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000
 

Taking a selfie, then applying semi-transparent paint splatters, I created a twilight zone effect with starts and celestial details. 

Selfie paint splatters, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000
 

Here is a picture of my left hand, over-painted with neon tools and a magnetic-field all around. Its like magic, when you make digital art, electricity emanates from finger tips. 

Electric neon hand, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000
 

I started with a colourful background, then made concentric rectangles, followed by square stamp overlays. Varying the size of the stamps created a sense of dimensional depth. 

Boxes dimensions, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000

Digital rainy day art

With plenty of rainy days I got some digital art completed on my cellphone using the Sketchbook app. In this one I used extensive stamping tools to create spheres and splatters in the background. It all lacked contrast so I overlaid a dark purple brush, creating variety by pausing and going back over... resulting in that 'banding' effect like a DNA test.  

DNA test, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000

Starting with a simple red line, I overlaid a stamp... you can draw stamps like a brush for a chain of patterns like legs on a red millipede. Filling in the background with a mustardy yellow, then stamping more red lines and a subtle texture you can see by zooming in, and the whole thing looks like a fossil. 

Fossilized red millipede, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000

Starting with a perspective tool to make various lines, I stamped over a texture mesh, spray painted the corners, then used a paint brush tool over top. The paint brush tools will smear colours like wet oil paint. It took a few tries to get the overlay looking good. Using the back arrow undoes the last actions. 

Minty swirl textures, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000

Done in the midst of a rain storm, this work uses the neon brush tool but set with pastel colours. It made white lines surrounded by pastel glow effect. Normally I apply neon on a dark background, this was my first try doing it on a white background. A few other stamps gave variety and a stormy effect. 

Pastel neon rain, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000

The background was done with a texture stamp brush, but I now forgot how to do the effect. It came out looking a little out of focus which was cool. Over top, I used the font tool to stamp my initials in various colours and 26. You can do a lot with fonts, including type, size, angle, rotation and even perspective. 

PJD29 shag rug, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000

Dépanneur Beaubien Ouest fermée

At the start of Beaubien Ouest road, near the corner with Saint Laurent boulevard, there is a closed Dépanneur and Laundry shop. It is reminiscent of the dépanneur in NDG that was demolished last year. You know, I don't just stop for every corner store and make a painting, only for the interesting ones, or ones that will not be around for much longer. Its part of the local heritage and culture, these small community shops. It feels like this one's days are numbered too, the whole area around Beaubien Ouest is gentrifying, that is, down with the warehouses, factories and dilapidated retail, up with the shiny glass condos and trendy cafes. 

I actually painted over half of an old painting, the original had a large pastel sky done in cerulean blue and magenta (probably PV19, maybe rose madder genuine) Painting over it, I started with a dark outline to establish perspective and structure, then applied earthy tones and shadow elements to create volume. I had to write the sign at home because it started to drizzle on location and didn't stop until after I got home.  

Dépanneur Beaubien Ouest fermée, watercolour 8 x 10" cold press, June 2026

Between rainstorms

Planning to visit Beaubien street west, I left by bike with a nice blue sky and some sun, only to encounter an ominous purple-grey cloud looming on the horizon. I backtracked to Wasserman forest and made a few paintings before the thunderstorm really hit. This one got some extra paint on it after packing it up in a hurry. 

Ominous sky Wasserman forest, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, June 2026

 

I had to bail on this painting, the rain started coming down and I headed for the forest to get some cover. There were cars on the road that I planned to add, but the painting was too wet and rain would have ruined the whole scene. Wasserman forest is on the right.

Grey sky Wasserman forest, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, June 2026

 

Finding refuge in the forest, I had a view out onto the corner with rain pouring down. There was loud thunder and lightning too. It was a hard painting to do on location, I had to lean over and protect the paper from rain... I was standing under a tree and had my rain jacket on. 

Thunderstorm from Wasserman forest, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, June 2026

 

I got as far as Université-de-Montréal when the rain really picked up again, worse than before. I tried waiting it out under a big tree but started to get soaked and hurried over to the nearby metro station. From the interior I had a good view of the rain storm, and did a painting of this view looking down the stairs, and also seeing cars on the road above. I took my time because the rain storm lasted about 45 minutes. 

Université-de-Montréal metro interior, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, June 2026

 

As the rain subsided, I set up outside of the metro station under the roof overhang, and did this scene of a sign someone put up saying Le Québec. Next to it was a no-entrance sign, because the road is one way here, and a bunch of pylons for construction on Tour Path road which goes up to campus. Le Québec refers to the province of Québec, as opposed to just saying Québec which refers to the city. 

Le Québec no entrance, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, June 2026 

Digital on the go

With rain subsiding, I can finally get out and do some painting on location. Before I take off, here are some digital pieces I did last week while I was on the go. Taking the bus to the Cancer Research center and waiting for some meetings gave me time to make art on my cellphone using Sketchbook app. This one used the chalk pastel tool in the first group of brushes, which has the texture of a very bright crayon. Include earth tones (dark orange, dark red) to make the bright colours pop. 

Pop art digital crayons, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000

 

Reminiscent of germs under high magnification of an electron microscope, this piece used stamping features by varying size, colour and transparency in the advanced option tab. Starting with a dark brown background helped make everything glow. The bus was bumping around making this one harder to do accurately. 

Germs surface, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000

 

Going to monochrome, this one is mostly grey scale with some dark neutral yellow mixed in. I overlaid as many brush tools as possible, ending with confetti-like spatters. Sometimes I keep overlaying things until there is no more possible...its the Jackson Pollock technique he used for drip painting. 

Party favorites, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000

 

At the Cancer research center I sat in the large, light-filled lobby and made part of this sketch, then finished it later on with textural and light-effects. The character is going down a staircase with bright sun coming in from a lush exterior. There was a simultaneous sense of both openness, and claustrophobia. 

Visit the center, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000

 

An art installation contained a tangle of matching ribbons wound up tastefully in a plexiglass case. I emulated the effect in this piece, which started with one ribbon, the green one I think, and then I tried to follow its shape as closely as possible with a succession of differently coloured ribbons. 

Matching ribbons, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000

 

Finally, I saw some graffiti on a door while riding the bus and tried to memorize its colours and textures. Using a variety of textural brushes and digital spray paint tools, I recreated a metallic surface covered in bright coral-red paint, complete with drips. 

PJD26 drips, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000 

 

Digital donuts

Maybe I was craving donuts? Using the sketchbook app on my cell phone, I created some artistic renditions of everyone's favorite pastry. In this example, a "Homer Simpson" style donut with pink icing and colourful sprinkles was created with a variety of brushes, airbrushes, and texture stamps. The night's sky was created from spray paint and speckle textures, along with my knowledge of what colours compose a night sky. Its an impactful piece of art work, just one big hole in it. 

Celestial donut, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000

 

Using neon brush tool I created a digital donut with illuminated sprinkles and a circuit-board like background. Even in the future we have donuts!

Steam punk donut, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000

 

Going for a dark icing with art deco touches, this delectable donut jumps of the screen. Contrasting pastel tones with earthy donut texture and fluorescent highlights made for a striking image. 

Digital art deco donut, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000

 

Taking a turn for abstract, here is a pop art, cubist approach to a donut, or maybe its a magnification of sprinkles? 

Pop art donut, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000

 

Finally, a cherry cake with icing, sprinkles and frosting details. The cherries were made with several stamping layers, brush work, and a highlight effect. If you zoom in, there is lots of texture in this one. 
 

Cherry icing sprinkles, Sketchbook, digital 1600 x 2000